Creation of link to user profile from user information prior to user logon to a virtual desktop environment

Abstract

Techniques for improving logon time for remote desktops a user has not logged onto before. In general, these techniques involve utilizing a pre-logon script to create a profile-specifying registry entry that links to an already created persistent or “mandatory” profile. Linking to a mandatory profile, rather than creating a new profile from whole cloth (which is automatically done by operating systems such as Microsoft Windows upon detecting a log on from a user that has not logged on before), reduces the amount of time associated with logging on.

We claim: 
     
       1. A method, comprising:
 creating a mandatory profile; 
 receiving a request from a first user to log into a non-persistent desktop environment executing on a virtual machine; 
 before the non-persistent desktop environment receives the request from the first user, executing a start session script to load the mandatory profile into memory and create a first user profile that points to the mandatory profile in memory; 
 after executing the start session script, logging the first user into the non-persistent desktop environment; 
 logging the first user out of the non-persistent desktop environment and maintaining the mandatory profile in the memory; 
 receiving a request from a second user to log into the non-persistent desktop environment; 
 before the non-persistent desktop environment receives the request from the second user, executing the start session script in a virtual machine running in the host computer to create a second user profile that points to the mandatory profile previously loaded into the memory and maintained in the memory after the first user logged out; and 
 after executing the start session script, logging the second user into the non-persistent desktop environment. 
 
     
     
       2. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the first user profile points to the mandatory profile via a registry entry. 
     
     
       3. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the registry entry includes unique user information and an indication of an on-disk location for the mandatory profile. 
     
     
       4. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the mandatory profile includes a list of permitted applications, locations for personal documents, and a desktop background. 
     
     
       5. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the first user profile comprises a security identifier and a globally unique identifier. 
     
     
       6. The method of  claim 5 , further comprising obtaining, by a host computer, the security identifier and the globally unique identifier from a domain controller coupled to persistent storage storing user account information. 
     
     
       7. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the start session script is executed prior to logon to an operating system of the virtual machine. 
     
     
       8. A virtualized desktop infrastructure system comprising a host computer running a virtual machine, wherein the host computer is configured to:
 create a mandatory profile; 
 receive a request from a first user to log into a non-persistent desktop environment executing on the virtual machine; 
 before the non-persistent desktop environment receives the request from the first user, execute a start session script to load the mandatory profile into memory and create a first user profile that points to the mandatory profile in memory; 
 after executing the start session script, log the first user into the non-persistent desktop environment; 
 log the first user out of the non-persistent desktop environment and maintain the mandatory profile in the memory; 
 receive a request from a second user to log into the non-persistent desktop environment; 
 before the non-persistent desktop environment receives the request from the second user, execute the start session script in a virtual machine running in the host computer to create a second user profile that points to the mandatory profile previously loaded into the memory and maintained in the memory after the first user logged out; and 
 after executing the start session script, log the second user into the non-persistent desktop environment. 
 
     
     
       9. The system of  claim 8 , wherein the first user profile points to the mandatory profile via a registry entry. 
     
     
       10. The system of  claim 9 , wherein the registry entry includes unique user information and an indication of an on-disk location for the mandatory profile. 
     
     
       11. The system of  claim 8 , wherein the mandatory profile includes a list of permitted applications, locations for personal documents, and a desktop background. 
     
     
       12. The system of  claim 8 , wherein the first user profile comprises a security identifier and a globally unique identifier. 
     
     
       13. The system of  claim 12 , wherein the host computer is further configured to obtain the security identifier and the globally unique identifier from a domain controller coupled to persistent storage storing user account information. 
     
     
       14. The system of  claim 8 , wherein the start session script is executed prior to logon to an operating system of the virtual machine. 
     
     
       15. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing instructions that, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform a method, the method comprising:
 creating a mandatory profile; 
 receiving a request from a first user to log into a non-persistent desktop environment executing on a virtual machine; 
 before the non-persistent desktop environment receives the request from the first user, executing a start session script to load the mandatory profile into memory and create a first user profile that points to the mandatory profile in memory; 
 after executing the start session script, logging the first user into the non-persistent desktop environment; 
 logging the first user out of the non-persistent desktop environment and maintaining the mandatory profile in the memory; 
 receiving a request from a second user to log into the non-persistent desktop environment; 
 before the non-persistent desktop environment receives the request from the second user, executing the start session script in a virtual machine running in the host computer to create a second user profile that points to the mandatory profile previously loaded into the memory and maintained in the memory after the first user logged out; and 
 after executing the start session script, logging the second user into the non-persistent desktop environment. 
 
     
     
       16. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 15 , wherein the first user profile points to the mandatory profile via a registry entry. 
     
     
       17. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 15 , wherein the registry entry includes unique user information and an indication of an on-disk location for the mandatory profile. 
     
     
       18. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 15 , wherein the mandatory profile includes a list of permitted applications, locations for personal documents, and a desktop background. 
     
     
       19. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 15 , wherein the first user profile comprises a security identifier and a globally unique identifier. 
     
     
       20. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 15 , wherein the start session script is executed prior to logon to an operating system of the virtual machine.